The Beatles were the hottest thing in music and pop culture in the early 1960s. It can be argued that they transformed music, youthful fashions, dance, and the teenage zeitgeist in one fell swoop. Yet the man behind their stunning rise to fame is still fairly obscure.
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The late Brian Epstein (1934-1967) was the Fab Four's manager. He engineered the Beatles' success when they were just out of the gate and soaring to superstardom. Epstein had an uncanny, gut-level knack for knowing what the public wanted to see, just as TV legends like Ed Sullivan and Johnny Carson did.
Brian Epstein's story is one of glory and grimness. He died tragically and very young, reportedly from an accidental overdose of alcohol and barbiturates. Sadly, his greatest days may have still been ahead. A biopic titled Midas Man that is streaming on Olyn examines his all-too-short life and career.
Brian Epstein Had His First Look At The Beatles In 1961 - And He Was Wowed
Per the New York Post, Epstein first glimpsed them on November 9, 1961. It would prove to be a day etched in music history. They were performing at the Cavern Club, a local Liverpool hot spot where the band did lunchtime gigs.
Martin Lewis, a historian knowledgeable about the Beatles, shared with the Post, "That day is the big bang. He [Epstein] had some kind of X-ray vision and X-ray hearing. He's hearing it, and he's looking at it, and he sees magic. These guys had something. It wasn't just the music ... it was the charisma, the presence, the energy. The Beatles had that life force."
Epstein was so impressed with the band that he said he would manage them. According to Lewis, "The Beatles are completely nonplussed by this, because they've been ... going nowhere just playing in Hamburg [Germany] and Liverpool. That's it. They have zero expectations of success."
Paul McCartney Nicknamed Epstein 'The Fifth Beatle'
He inked a contract to be their manager on January 24, 1962. Epstein eventually made the quartet "bigger than Elvis." In the words of the Post, he did that "all while remaining largely behind the scenes and in the shadows as a closeted gay man."
According to Kenneth Womack, who has written about the Beatles, Epstein shaped them, making them more polished and professional. It was a key step at a crucial moment in their trajectory. Womack said via the outlet, "They needed somebody to intervene and really help them to elevate just the way they were operating."
George Martin Was Willing To Sign The Group To A Recording Deal - Only If They Ditched Drummer Pete Best
With Pete Best gone, Ringo Starr joined the Beatles as their new drummer. After that, things happened quickly. Their debut album, Meet The Beatles, was released. The Beatles incited delirious Beatlemania in America by appearing on The Ed Sullivan Show. They were signed to Capitol Records. There was no looking back now. John, Paul, George, and Ringo were firmly planted in the big time.
Epstein's Role With The Beatles Started To Dwindle
The Beatles chose to spend more of their energy in the studio in the mid-1960s rather than touring. Epstein believed that he had been somewhat relegated to the sidelines, according to Beatles expert Kenneth Womack. On top of that, there were other negative forces at work in Epstein's life.
Joe Stephenson, who directed Midas Man, said via the outlet, "As a gay man, the type of oppression that he [faced] led him to being a workaholic, and that whole workaholic attitude is what led him to the drugs, which is what led to his death. He was obsessive in his work, which led to his overworking and reliance on uppers and downers."
